I'm not shocked by these findings as I've seen it in my own kids. My youngest two boys(8 and 12) have both benefitted a great deal from playing games, imho. Their reading has improved as has their maths confidence and, because of on line play, so has their spelling and communication skills.

Naturally, I ensure they still take part in all kinds of other activities, sports and school clubs alongside their normal learning and reading but I'm convinced that gaming helps, particularly with concentration, coordination and anything hand/eye related and this new problem solving being attributed to gaming also makes a lot of sense. I remember playing through Valkyria Chronicles with one of them and seeing how he picked up both the reading and tactical parts so quickly really impressed on me how much more quickly kids will learn when they neither feel they're learning nor feel they're being forced to do something./ they enjoy the games and want to succeed so appealing to both their fun and their competitive nature means, alongside the tactical and puzzle solving parts of many games that they pick things up like lightning which could take much longer in a classroom where they are easily distracted and prone to turning off BECAUSE they know they're being taught.

I will sometimes, also, play games with them that are slightly older than they're supposed to play(PEGI wise that is) so I can explain more adult themes to them while they're interested and also to prevent them picking up silly ideas when the inevitable happens and they end up playing games WAY too mature for them at less savvy mates parents houses with older siblings etc of their friends. I'm not claiming that games are a panacea for parents of kids these days but as something to boost their confidence and skills they can be a real boon and something very much over maligned in mainstream media.

Naturally, the downside is that with their lightning quick kid powered reflexes they can now beat me at nearly everything! I may have boosted their brains but at what cost? What cost? Becoming the virtual whipping boy of the house? Wouldn't be quite so bad if mum wasn't also better than me at nearly every bloody game she plays! She's currently obsessed with trying to break a couple of speed run world records on Sonic 2 and, scarily, keeps gettuing a bit closer all the time-my life will NOT be worth living should she do the unthinkable(though less unthinkable with every hundredth of a second she shaves off!)and actually do it!

Are there any other dads out there regretting the skills they created in fellow family memebers and kids inparticular? I remember being pretty old before I could beat my dad at any sports but, wise old bugger, he was never silly enough to take me on at Sensi!

it certainly feels like my brain is working harder. playing shooters has taught me to use my whole eye (thats the only way i can describe it, being more aware of my peripheral vision). i'm absolutely used to changing tactics and the like on the fly and being instantly aware of flanking opportunities.

the ironic thing is i actually considered the military, i got an 89% on the asvab and the recruiters were calling me every day. the other guys i took the test with got like 10%. i had wanted to go into psych ops.